Op-ed: Hold energy industry responsible for clean-up costs

An op-ed from Joshua Buck, Alberta climate program manager at Environmental Defence, on the $260-billion unfunded environmental liability in the oil and gas sector in Alberta:

Albertans have had a long-standing and mutually beneficial bargain with the oil and gas industry. Basically, the deal was, the companies can take Albertans’ resources, practically for free, but in exchange, they’ll create high-paying jobs for Albertans. They’ll create the conditions for a strong economy, low taxes, and a high quality of life.

But it looks like we have been duped. Because there was another, hidden part of the deal: massive clean-up costs that the companies aren’t able to pay. Costs that will likely be left to Albertans to pay, long into the future.

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